At $70, $90, $100 a night, those motel and hotel bills can really add up on vacation, especially to expensive destinations like California.
What if you could cut way back on that expense–I mean way, way back–spending a mere $15 a night, just $105 for a week’s worth of accommodations?
One word: hostel. That’s hotel with an “s” in the middle and the bathroom down the hall.
Hostels are available all over the United States and Canada. California is brimming with them. Hostelling International says overnight stays in its U.S. hostels topped 1 million for the first time last year.
But hostels are hardly on everyone’s list of traveling options. You can’t beat the price, obviously, but what’s it like to stay in one?
I sampled three hostels on a recent trip to California, two in San Francisco and one in San Luis Obispo, about halfway between the Bay area and Los Angeles. Although the amenities were similar, each had an ambience all its own.
It was late at night when I pulled up to San Francisco’s Ft. Mason hostel, so I didn’t realize what a visual treat would be in store the next morning. The historic military post is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a green stretch on the bay. Sparkling skies produced gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.
The hostel was a long frame building. The common area had the feel of a college dorm with guests, chatting and reading, sprawled on the floor or sunk into furniture. Phone messages and ride requests were pinned to the bulletin boards.
I checked in and collected my bedding and bunk assignment. Many hostels offer private rooms for couples or families — but I opted for the full experience, dormitory-style sleeping arrangements. I would share a room, and perhaps interesting conversation, with complete strangers.
There were three of us in the four-person room at Ft. Mason, but my two roommates were asleep when I arrived. I locked my valuables in a compartment under the bed and had no trouble falling asleep.
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In the morning I met Chakib Labidi, a 25-year-old industrial design student from Berlin. His mother was Tunisian, his father German and he spoke excellent English. He had an internship in the city and was looking for more permanent quarters. Our other roommate was Yong Kim, 24, a business student in Korea who came to the United States to improve his English. He had visited New York and would be leaving soon for a language course in Santa Barbara.
Our waking-up chat meandered through various topics, like the reunification of Germany and the interesting characters one can meet in New York City. We took our meal tickets for breakfast to the hostel’s cafe for bagels and coffee. The two foreign travelers marveled at what an international experience they had hosteling, having met visitors from Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Uruguay, Japan and China.
My other hosteling experience in San Francisco was less charming, although not unpleasant. The Union Square hostel is downtown, close to the Westin St. Francis Hotel, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. But a couple blocks can be a world away. The hostel is housed in an old high-rise hotel, and although it was clean and painted it still had a shabby feel.
Of course my view might have been skewed by a 4:30 a.m. arrival, following a maddening five-hour weather delay on the runway at Denver’s airport. I was just thankful someone was staffing the front desk at that hour. (I called ahead to be sure.)
My room was barebones, a white sink and one bunkbed, which I had to myself. There was an unlocked door to an adjoining, occupied room, but the setup meant I didn’t wake anyone as I settled in. Of course, I didn’t settle in for long; my alarm buzzed about three hours later and I was off for the day.
The contrast was stark between the colorless atmosphere at the downtown hostel and the homey surroundings in San Luis Obispo. The hostel there was in a one-story house on a wooded street. In the front room a guitar leaned against an old upright piano, ready for a sing-along. Amber, an 11-year-old golden retriever, greeted visitors, her eyes pleading for a walk.
“She only leaves the grounds if she’s with a guest,” said the desk clerk. “No one knows how she knows.”
Manager Elaine Simer opened the hostel three years ago to response so overwhelming she quickly decided to expand. She found another house in town and moved it to her oversize lot. The new house serves as the women’s dorm, separated from the main house by a garden and courtyard. She now offers 24 beds rather than 10. Demand in the college town is high.
“It’s just growing like crazy,” Simer said.
I shared a large room with six other guys. There was plenty of space, but later, as a chorus of snoring crescendoed, I did have trouble falling asleep.
I was assigned a morning chore — empty the wastebaskets — which didn’t take long, then I met a few of the guests. One was Steven Doyel, a hosteling veteran who works seasonal jobs that afford him lots of time off. He had just finished a six-month tour hiring and managing staff in the fishing industry. For now, his only plans were to hit a few West Coast hostels.
“I knew this would be a good place to chill,” Doyel said. “I made two wonderful friends out of this hostel, one from England and one from Toronto. We still write and keep up with each other’s lives.”
I realized later why I recognized, and sort of liked, this place: Bunkbeds, chores, waiting for the bathroom, new and offbeat friends coming and going . . . it was just like growing up at home with six brothers and sisters.
So, what of hosteling? All in all, if you’re in the right frame of mind, if you’re ready, even eager, for its communal aspects, if you’re looking for a little adventure and travelers’ conversation, if you’re comfortable in unusual settings — that’s a lot of ifs — then you’re an excellent candidate.
And, no question, the price is most definitely right.
DETAILS ON HOSTELS
The basics: Hostels in the United States and Canada can be found at ranch bunkhouses, historic homes and lighthouses. They’re in old forts, in parks and in big-city downtowns.
To join Hostelling International, which has nearly 5,000 member hostels in 70 countries, call the national office at 202-783-6161 or write HI-AYH, P.O. Box 37613, Washington, D.C. 20013. Annual membership cost is $10 for those under 18, $25 for adults, $15 for people older than 54 and $35 for a family. Members get cheaper rates at HI-AYH hostels, discounts on transportation, admission fees and restaurants and, on request, the latest Hostelling North America guide.
Resources: Hostel guidebooks generally provide details about location, size, amenities and rates, which can range from $9 to $22.50 a night.
Hostelling North America, published yearly by Hostelling International-American Youth Hostels, lists 225 member hostels in Canada and the United States. The guide is free to HI-AYH members; $2 for nonmembers. Call 202-783-6161. Hostelling International hostels are evaluated regularly by the organization and must meet certain standards.
The Hostel Handbook for the U.S.A. and Canada lists more than 600 hostels and costs $4 including mailing. The list includes HI-AYH and independent hostels. For a copy, call Jim Williams at 212-926-7030 or write to him at 722 St. Nicholas Ave., New York, N.Y. 10031. Checks should be made payable to Jim Williams.
The “Internet Guide to Hostelling” is available on the World Wide Web at www.hiayh.org.